Mrs. S. M. Mason

In the record (6)

1. 1922

   Eleven Ocean City houses advertise in the Washington Evening Star's summer-resort block in 1922 — the Plimhimmon now has a ballroom, a grill room and the Morris Orchestra — and not one of them prints a price.

   The Evening Star ran its standing "OCEAN CITY, MD." block through the summer of 1922 under the banner it had used since 1917: "Finest beach in world: ocean on one side, bay on other; cool, healthful; boating and fishing." The houses: the PLIMHIMMON HOTEL and Cottages, "Ocean front; best service; ballroom, Morris Orchestra; grill room"; the ATLANTIC HOTEL, "Ocean front. New management. New steward. Running water in rooms. American plan. C. W. Purnell, Prop."; HOTEL HAMILTON, "Ocean front. J. L. Massey & Son"; THE RIDEAU, "on boardwalk. Ocean front dining room. Excellent table. La Fayette Johnson, Prop."; THE LIN-MAR, "Ocean front. Running water in rooms. All conveniences. Bath houses attached. Mrs. H. F. Boyd"; BREAKERS, "on boardwalk. Large, airy rooms. Hot, cold water in rooms. Phone 76. Mrs. A. Timmons, Prop."; THE BELMONT, "Running water in every room. With ocean view. Cool, delightful rooms. Excellent table. L. R. Hearne"; THE DEL-MAR, "Cool, airy rooms. Overlooking ocean and bay. Homelike. Rates reasonable. Mrs. S. I. Carey, Owner-Prop. Bathing free"; MOUNT PLEASANT HOTEL, "On Boardwalk. Rooms with running water. Home cooking. S. M. Mason, Prop."; THE DENNIS, "Comfortable and homelike. Porticos overlooking ocean and bay. Terms reasonable. Bathing free. Mrs. R. J. Dennis"; and the SEASIDE, "Street near Boardwalk. OPEN JUNE 29. Everything new and modern. Running water in all rooms. Private baths. American plan." The Rideau, the Breakers and the Seaside are new to this registry, and the Del-Mar has changed hands from Mrs. Harry Forman to Mrs. S. I. Carey. Running water in the rooms is now the standard boast; three years earlier only the Lin-Mar claimed it.

   Plimhimmon Hotel / Plim PlazaAtlantic HotelLafayette JohnsonRosalie Tilghman Shreve

   Source · checked 2026-08-06

2. 1923

   The Evening Star's Ocean City banner changes for the first time since 1917 — and now sells golf, tennis and dancing.

   Since 1917 the Washington Evening Star's standing resort block had headed its Ocean City houses "Finest beach in world: ocean on one side, bay on other; cool, healthful; boating and fishing." In 1923 the banner reads: "OCEAN CITY, MD. Finest and safest bathing beach on Atlantic coast; ocean on one side, bay on other; cool; golf, tennis, fishing, boating and dancing." The 1922 block carried eleven houses and not one price. The 1923 block runs to roughly eighteen, including several new to this registry — the COLONIAL ("running water in every room; private baths"), the NEW AVALON ("$3 per day up… Dancing, bathhouses", D. Oliver Ditto), KAYE COTTAGE (Mrs. M. Kaye), THE IDYLWILD (Dr. E. L. Brittingham), THE GABLES ("Southern cooking; same management as Blue Lattice Inn"), THE MERVUE (T. W. Taylor, American plan), THE SHOREHAM ("A New Hotel Just Completed"), and a "NURSING COTTAGE, centrally located at Ocean City, Md.; ideal spot for rest and recuperation. Apply GRADUATE NURSE." The Hastings now advertises under two names — "Mrs. GEO. B. CONNER. Mrs. CHAS. LUDLOW" — and the Atlantic Hotel as "Opens June 23… 2nd yr. under present management… C. W. PURNELL, Prop. & Mgr."

   Atlantic HotelPlimhimmon Hotel / Plim PlazaOcean City BoardwalkDr. Charles Washington PurnellLafayette Johnson

   Source · checked 2026-08-06

3. 1923 · 1923-09-28

   The Mount Pleasant Hotel burns on 28 September with a $25,000 loss, and five fire companies keep the flames off the boardwalk.

   The Washington Daily News of 29 September 1923: "OCEAN CITY HOTEL BURNS — OCEAN CITY, Md. — Fire wrecked the Mt. Pleasant hotel yesterday. Loss was $25,000." The Washington Times of 1 October, under "OCEAN CITY, MD, HOTEL BURNS; RESORT IN DANGER": "Flames that destroyed the Mount Pleasant Hotel here threatened to sweep the boardwalk. The quick arrival of the Berlin fire department that aided the volunteer company of the resort in getting the blaze under control, proved to be the great factor in the stopping of the conflagration. Apparatus from Salisbury and Pocomoke City reached the scene shortly after the Berlin company, and immediately there began to play upon the burning structure streams of water from all sides." Two weeks later the Worcester Democrat printed a card of thanks from Mr. and Mrs. T. B. Mason and family "to the fire companies of Ocean City, Pocomoke City, Salisbury, Snow Hill and Berlin for their heroic efforts in extinguishing the fire at the Mt. Pleasant Hotel, Ocean City." The Mount Pleasant had advertised in Washington all summer — "Ocean front. Hot and cold running water. Excellent table. S. M. Mason."

   Twenty-one months before the fire of 1925 took the pier and four blocks of boardwalk, Ocean City had its rehearsal — one hotel, five fire companies, and the flames stopping at the boards.

   Ocean City BoardwalkOcean City Volunteer Fire Department

   Source · checked 2026-08-06

4. 1924

   Nine months after it burned, the Mount Pleasant Hotel is advertising in Washington as 'NOW OPEN — On Boardwalk; most exclusive (private baths).'

   The Evening Star's Ocean City block carried it all summer: 'Mt. Pleasant Hotel — NOW OPEN — On Boardwalk; most exclusive (private baths); excellent meals. S. M. Mason, Prop.' The Mount Pleasant was wrecked by fire on 28 September 1923 with a loss of $25,000, the flames stopping only at the boards; the Masons printed a card of thanks to five fire companies. By the summer of 1924 the same proprietor is selling the same boardwalk address as the town's most exclusive house. That closes the question the 1923 pass left open about what became of the site.

   Ocean City Boardwalk

   Source · checked 2026-08-06

5. 1924

   Washington's resort columns carry about eighteen Ocean City houses, a golf course with 'New Tea Room attached', and for the first time a restaurant open day and night.

   The Evening Star's standing banner is unchanged from 1923 — 'OCEAN CITY, MD. Finest and safest bathing beach on Atlantic coast; ocean on one side, bay on other; cool; golf, tennis, fishing, boating and dancing' — but the golf line has grown: 'Ocean City Golf Course. New Nine-Hole Course. New Tea Room attached.' The 1924 houses, across the Evening Star and the Washington Times: MT. PLEASANT ('NOW OPEN … most exclusive', S. M. Mason); THE GABLES ('Centrally located. Home cooking … New management. O. M. Chandler, Prop. Tel. 45'); THE SEASIDE ('American plan; running water; private baths … garage free to guests', H. G. Cropper) — new; HOTEL HAMILTON ('OCEAN FRONT', J. L. Massey & Son) — new; THE AVONDALE ('Open now. Accommodations for tourists and week-end parties', G. W. Rounds) — new; TARRY-A-WHILE ('Cool, attractive rooms near water front', Mrs. T. J. Cropper) — new; THE CASINO RESTAURANT ('A place at Ocean City to get a real meal and some good home cooking. Open day and night', W. M. Ruark) — new; THE MARYLAND INN ('On the Boardwalk; comfortable outside rooms; American plan', Mrs. W. I. Purnell); THE RIDEAU (La Fayette Johnson); THE IDYLWILD (Dr. E. L. Brittingham); KAYE COTTAGE; THE DEL-MAR ('Second house from Boardwalk … Homelike Maryland Cooking. Private Bathhouse', Mrs. S. I. Carey, opening 15 June); THE BELMONT (L. H. Hearne); THE ATLANTIC (C. W. Purnell); THE HASTINGS ('Newly painted and renovated. Garage in connection', Mrs. Charles Ludlam); THE BREAKERS ('Rebuilt … Golf. Phone 76', C. H. Timmons); THE SHOREHAM (Mrs. K. C. Hastings); THE DENNIS ('Comfortable and homelike. Enlarged … Special rates to auto parties', Mrs. R. J. Dennis); THE PLIMHIMMON ('Ocean front. Best service. Orchestra. Ballroom. Grill. Tearoom. Golf. Garage.'); THE COLONIAL ('Boardwalk; strictly modern. Special rates to July 15'). Private baths and golf privileges were the 1923 boast; in 1924 the new words are garage, tea room, and open day and night.

   Plimhimmon Hotel / Plim PlazaAtlantic HotelOcean City BoardwalkDr. Charles Washington PurnellLafayette JohnsonCapt. William I. Purnell

   Source · checked 2026-08-06

6. 1925 · 1925-07-12

   The Mount Pleasant Hotel, burned out in September 1923, was advertising "NOW OPEN" on the boardwalk in July 1925 under the same proprietor.

   Washington Evening Star resort column, 12 July 1925: "Mt. Pleasant Hotel — NOW OPEN—On Boardwalk: most exclusive (private baths); excellent meals. S. M. MASON, Prop." The Board of Trade's capacity table in the same issue lists Mt. Pleasant at 100. The hotel had been wrecked by fire on 28 September 1923 with a loss of $25,000, in a blaze that five fire companies fought and that "threatened to sweep the boardwalk."

   This answers a question the 1923 pass left open: the Mount Pleasant was rebuilt, reopened, and Mason was still running it — and it survived the far bigger fire of 1925 too.

   Ocean City Boardwalk

   Source · checked 2026-08-06